Life's Funny Way's
by ProudAnimeGeek
Summary: "Ah, I like cinnamon buns and flowers. I don't like eel." Hinata stared at Gaara. He stared back at her for a moment before reclining. "I like salted tongue and cactus drops. I don't like green tea ice cream."


Hi! This became stuck in my mind and I just couldn't let it go. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Life was a mess at the moment. She'd been rejected by her life long crush, her younger sister was made heir and clan leader above her and now she was to be wedded off to some unknown man who had lots of wealth and power. Just to help the clan further prosper. To be honest and a little out of character, Hinata was tired of it. Just so damn tired of continually pushing herself and pushing herself and never being able to satisfy anyone. Everyone's expectations were out of her reach and she was being punished by not being able to reach them. That's why Naruto rejected her heart, that's why Hanabi took the tile of clan leader, without a second glance to her sister and that's why her father was having her married off. Now she just resigned herself to her fate. There was no point in fighting for anything anymore. She'd just loose.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Hinata was looking at her hands neatly folded in her lap. The bedside clock was rhythmically ticking to her left and the sunlight was filtering in through her window behind her, warming her back. Today was the day, her wedding day. She didn't know the groom. When she'd been told about the marriage her father offered her a choice, she said she didn't mind. That she trusted her father's decision… There were two solid knocks at the door.

"Hinata-sama, it time." Neji stayed on the outside of the door waiting for her to come to him. Was it bad that she compared herself to a lamb going to slaughter? She should stop being so pessimistic. For all Hinata knew, she'd could be pleasantly surprised with her father's choice in husband. With forced positive thoughts, Hinata stood from the bed and headed for the ceremony accompanied by her cousin.

* * *

Gaara quickly glanced at his new wife. She was pleasant. Both in looks and in manners. She wasn't happy though. Not that he'd expect her to jump off the walls and laughing herself silly or anything. But, she couldn't even bring herself to smile. Not once during the ceremony or during tonight's feast. She just sat calmly shaking hands and nodding a greeting at some people. Hinata only spoke when spoken to. That's not how Uzumaki described Hinata to him. She was, to Naruto's description, shy but very friendly. Someone who blushes a lot, if not almost constantly and faints. That she was hard-working, always pushing herself to become stronger. She hadn't been any of that tonight. Gaara looked around the room and found only a few last stragglers. His sister and brother sitting and talking to Nara-san. Over in the far corner there were a few of the older shinobi still drinking and laughing. Gaara decided that this was a good time to come to an understading about his wife. However, he didn't know where to begin. When he failed to come up with any sort of logical question, that didn't make him feel awkward, he decided it could wait untill the morning.

"Hinata, there are some things we have to discuss tomorrow. Before we head out for Sunagakure." Hinata looked him in the eyes for the first time that day. She looked weary.

"Kazekage-sama, I'm sure, whatever it is, you can deal with it swiftly and successfully on your own and I'm sure any decisions that need to be made will be fair. I am needed at the Hyuga compound to receive the cursed seal in the morning. As I will not be clan leader nor a Konoha shinobi it has been deemed necessary by my father. " Gaara stared at Hinata for a moment.

"The cursed seal. I heard of this from Uzumaki. Your cousin has it does he not?"Hinata bobbed her head in agreeance and continued on the explain the seal.

"It was created to protect the byakugan's secrets. However, the branch family believes it symbolises their servitude. In a way, they are right. A main family member can activate the seal to reprimand any individual, if activated too long, it can permanently seal the byakugan away and destroy a persons eyes. There's a rumor about that it can even lead to death." Hinata had an angry glint to her eyes. That actually pleased Gaara somewhat. She might not hold emotion for Gaara, but at least she was able to feel and express something.

"You feel strongly about this. Yet you'd comply and have the cursed seal applied to you." Gaara was intrigued. He agreed with her anger towards the seal. Especially when it was to be applied to her. However, he could also justify the cursed seal. It could mean trouble if the byakugan got into the wrong hands. "I will accompany you to the...procedure tomorrow morning."

"I see. Perhaps we should prepare for bed. I've need asked to arrive at 0700 hours tomorrow."

* * *

Hinata had been kneeling outside the clan meeting room for over an hour now. Gaara had practically demanded that he speak to her father and the elders before Juin Jutsu was applied. She bit back a yawn. Last night had been awkward. Apparently, as husband and wife, they were expected to share a futon. Hinata had stayed up half the night, laying rigidly next to a just as uncomfortable Kazekage. In the end he'd excused himself saying he was going for a walk. She felt it just a bit odd to go walking in the middle of the night but was grateful. He had given her space. Once the Kazegage was gone it took her a meer moment to fall asleep.

Hinata straightened as she heard raised voices. The doors had been bound with chakra to sound proof them. It was usually almost impossible to hear anything through them. So the fact she could hear anything at all was alarming. She became even more alarmed when a definite presence of chakra seeped through the door. Hinata tensed. She only had milliseconds to cover her face with her arms as an object was thrown through the sliding doors, right at her flinging debris at her. It took her a second to realize it wasn't an object at all but a person and it didn't look like he'd been thrown but more as if he'd smashed his way through them. The Kazekage pivoted around Hinata, only to grab her around the waist and pull her to her feet. Her back slamming into the side of his chest. One of his hands was held out in front of them, in a claw shape. The other was holding her firmly to him. Temari-chan and Kankuro-san positioned themselves to the sides of Gaara, slightly in front. Ready to fight if need be.

"It will be done, Kazekage. Whether you allow it to or not." Frowning Hinata looked to her father.

"I'd watch what you say, Hiashi-san. You don't want to start a war." Gaara's voice held a promise.

"Father?" Hinata felt scared and wanted her father to come to his senses. For the first time in a long time she was scared. Something was going to eventuate from today and she knew she would not like it. Her father looked to her at the sound of her voice. Their eyes met for a second until his eyes traveled further up and rested on her forehead. His hand started to glow a green color and his right foot trembled ever so slightly. Then it happened in razor quick succession. Her father ran at her, arm pulled back, ready to thrust. Temari and Kankuro both grabbed one of Gaara's shoulder's. Sand swirled around them. So thick she couldn't see anything except a green haze from her father's hand. Over the roar of the sand she heard a slightly strained yell and the green disappeared from view.

She only hand a moment to gather her bearing's before she was pulled forward by her hand, into a run. They were now in a forest. Looking behind her she could see a clearing. She recognised it as a training ground outside of the Konoha city border, accessable to all shinobi from Konoha.

"No, stop. STOP!" Hinata grabbed at her other hand, trying to bend the Kazekages off of her own. They were running away. Away from her home, her friends, her family... She wanted to stay. Or at least have the chance to say goodbye. Thats all she wanted. One last look at what she held dear to her heart before it was lost forever. So she had to make them stop running. To make them turn around and go back. Tears had started to form in her eyes. She blinked desperately trying to see through them. "Please stop!" Her voice broke and then her hold world went black.

* * *

Gaara had his head resting in the palms of his hands. Seated at his desk, he could hear the pounding. When Hinata had first woken at Suna, he hoped she'd give him a chance to explain. To tell her why he had done what he did. He hadn't expected her to get hysterical. It didn't seem in her nature. Five of his guards had been knocked unconscious by the time he reached his room. There was no opportunity to explain anything to her. She looked almost feral. The only thing he could do was enclose her in his sand so she couldn't harm anymore of his people or herself. That in itself was a task because she just kept hitting at the sand with her chakra, disabling it. That was the second time in their married life he had to knock his wife out. If they kept this up he'd be married to a vegetable. They'd locked her in a room in the Kazekage tower with no window's. The door had been made impossible to move from the inside. But her could still hear her trying. Over, and over and over. Then it stopped. Lifting his head from his hands Gaara waited. Five minutes passed and still nothing. Gaara sighed. Standing, he reached into his desk for a first aid bag and started across the room. Kankuro poked his head in the office.

"She's gone quiet." Kankuro eyed the bag in Gaara's hands. "I'll keep watch outside the door when your in... Just in case." Kankuro smirked slightly. He'd informed Gaara earlier that he had a newfound respect for his wife, after she was able to beat the living crap out of so many of their guards before the Kazekage himself had to knock his own wife out. Gaara and Kankuro walked in silence to the solitary room. He took his time undoing the multiple levels of the doors lock, listening to the sounds coming from inside the room. There was nothing but a steady rhythm of breathing. Once opened, Gaara quickly slipped inside the room, making sure to close the door behind him. Hinata was kneeling in the middle of the room. Her hands were resting in her lap, bloodied and bruised. She wasn't going to be able to use them for a while. She didn't look up as Gaara made his way towards her, or when he knelt in front of her. He placed the first aid bag by his side and inspected her hands. She flinched slightly as his hand enveloped one of her's gentley. She looked up into his face.

"Why?" It came out of her as a croak but he understood. He reached into the bag and withdrew a bottle of sterilized water. Hinata harshly removed her hand from his grip and repeated the question "Why?". Gaara spoke quietly, grabbing her hand back as he did so.

"I would never allow them to mark you in such a way. You are not a slave, you are the Kazekage's wife. It would be demeaning for you to have that applied and I would never allow any person to have such control over my wife. It could put your life in danger, my life in danger and the people of Suna's lives in danger. I would never allow it." Gaara finished cleaning her hands and grabbed a bunch of gauze to pat them dry. He then grabbed a piece of bandage and started to wind it around her hands, placing a small piece of gauze between each finger to separate them before winding them over as well. Once he'd finished she looked as if she had some very unfashionable mittens on. He looked into her face. She was crying again.

* * *

Gaara's explanation had been logical. So much so, she wondered why no one had thought of it in the first place. She'd been so 'resigned' to her fate she completely missed Gaara's point of view. They were now in his office. He'd called a meeting with the elder's of Suna as well as some tactical people of choice. She had to be there because she was in the middle of everything. There was the possibility of war. Unless they could peacefully talk it through. She wouldn't be able to stand it if it did come to war, just because of her. Everyone was talking to one another. Gaara was remaining silent, choosing to listen to everything that was said. He spoke however when word came that two Konoha shinobi where at the boundary gates. Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno to be exact. Gaara stood and started to walk to the door.

"Temari, Kankuro, you two, you will accompany me to the gate." The four shinobi and Gaara walked out the door but not before Gaara turned to her and warned her to stay inside this room and motioned for another two shinobi to keep her there. With that he left her with the elder's.

* * *

Gaara looked to the other shinobi. He looked windswept and a bit burnt as did his companion. However she, it seemed, was smart enough to have worn a hat. He nodded his head in greeting but didn't move. He was waiting for Naruto's report.

"Ah, Gaara, it's bloody hot out here. Can't we go inside and sit in the cool somewhere, maybe get a drink or two, ne?" Naruto's voice shifted from whiny to hopeful. Gaara held his ground.

"The Hokage would like to make it known that she empathise with your situation. She's been holding talks with the Hyuga clan ever since you made your getaway." Haruno-san was a good shinobi. She did as she was told and expected no less from other's. She was smiling slightly.

"Yeah, they're being stubborn though Gaara. This seal business means a lot to them. It will take a lot to make them stand down. everyone's trying their hardest to get them to change their minds, even Neji! But it's difficult. They are just really stubborn man." Naruto scratched the back of his head. Gaara, meanwhile, sighed. He'd hoped that with talking to the Hokage the night before they left she'd have managed to come up with some strategy to getting the Hyuga's to back down. He even took Naruto along. The Hyuga's however, were more steel footed than he thought. With that Gaara turned around and started back inside the city. Naruto's screech was scandalized when he thought they were going to be turned around and sent back.

"You have a day to rest and recoup before you need to leave." He heard Naruto whoop behind him and Haruno-san sigh in relief.

* * *

Hinata was sitting cross-legged on Gaara's bed, which was now theirs she supposed, watching Gaara pace back and forth. She didn't see him as one to pace. She assumed he'd be more like Shikamaru and be very still and quiet, selecting a pose and sticking to it. She'd been wrong about a lot of things to do with him. She thought he'd be unemotional and was wrong. She thought he'd be shy and she was wrong. He seemed perfectly fine to walk around her in only the thin material of the Kazekage's official garb pants. He even offered her a sweet like it meant nothing at all. He didn't say anything. He didn't even look at her. He just held out the sweet and she felt compelled to take it. That was it. Life went on. It was quite a bazaar circumstance. She looked to the sweet in her hand, it was a 'cactus drop'. Her hands were still heavily bandaged and out of commission from earlier, so she couldn't unwrap it. So Hinata just held it.

"The Hyuga clan is more stubborn than I gave them credit for." Hinata looked up from the sweet and back to Gaara. Gaara was looking at the sweet in her hand. He stopped pacing, walked over and held out his hand. Hinata placed the sweet in his hand with the thought he'd take it away. Instead, he stood there and unwrapped it for her. He held his hand back out with the now unwrapped sweet and waited for her to take it. Hinata felt herself blush. What would happen when the time came for them to eat a proper meal? Would he feed her? She felt her blush darken. Quickly she took the sweet and popped it in her mouth. It wasn't precisely sweet perse. It tasted as if it had salt in it. But it was pleasant in a refreshing kind of way.

"Kazekage-sama, um, would it really escalate to war if this doesn't get solved soon?" She really hated to think it would. Gaara stopped pacing again and looked to Hinata.

"I would stop at nothing to make sure you never had that seal applied. I'm sorry, but it just can't be allowed." Hinata slumped. Gaara can't allow her to have the seal, the Hyuga's can't allow her to not have the seal. It seemed they were just going round in circles.

* * *

Gaara was in the his office a month later after more failed talks with the Hyuga's leader Hiashi, when a hawk swooped in through the window, landing on his desk with a thump. On one of its leg was a ring with the Hyuga clan symbol, on the other was a device holding a small scroll. He detached it and the bird flew off. He called for Matsuri.

* * *

Hinata was waiting in the hospital and felt a mixture of apprehension and serenity. Hanabi-imouto had written a good two weeks ago. Neji-nii-san and herself had come up with a way to get the best of both worlds. Gaara had personally seen their work and approved so it must be good. There was a knock at the door and Neji walked in and smiled at her. It was a rare gift she took with gratitude. A hyuga was needed to apply the seal and Hanabi had sent him. Apparently, ever since she came into power Hanabi had been a bit of a taskmaster. Hinata had smiled at the thought. She felt sorry for her father, being thrust out-of-the-way. It wasn't as if he was a bad person, he was just looking out for his people. But it was good Hanabi seemed to enjoy her role.

"We're ready for you." Naruto had been asked to come. With his enormous amount of chakra it would be easy for Neji to create the new seal. They just had to make sure it was just plain human chakra and none from the Kyubi. If the Kyubi's got involved, it could become quite problematic. Neji held out his hand and Hinata grasped it.

* * *

Gaara watched Hinata sleep. It had been two days since the seal had been applied and she still hadn't woke up. He was pleased however that there was no visible seal. Hanabi had told him there wouldn't be but he was still unsure. He kept checking to make sure one didn't just suddenly develope. He heard a groan and saw Hinata's eye's flutter open. Only to close again in pain from the light. Gaara reached over and pressed a button behind the bed, calling someone to come to the room. Hinata was slowly adjusting to the lighting and squinted up at him. He smoothed her forehead with his hand.

"Kazekage-sama, did you need something?" A nurse stood in the door way.

"Hinata is awake." He didn't look away from her as the nurse entered and went to look at all the machines Hinata had been hooked up to.

* * *

Aside from a headache and a slight sensitivity to light she felt fine. One of the first things she did when she was able to stand, was look in a mirror. The only thing Hinata could only see on her forehead was her own skin. She smiled and remembered her cousins words.

"You wont have any visible mark on your forehead. Also no family member will be able to activate it. If you get captured and the only way to ensure the secret of the byakugan is if it's activated all you have to do it find the switch in your mind and press it. Only you can do this. If you die, the seal will activate on its own accord. Understood?" Neji looked at Hinata in the eye's.

"How do I know if I find the switch in my mind? Could I activate it without knowing it?" Neji smiled at her. She'd been told before but she needed reassurance.

"The switch is an individual thing we believe. We aren't entirely sure as you're the first person we've tried it on. But it should be quite obvious in what it is and i highly doubt you'd be able to switch it on without knowing it." Neji came down to her level and looked her directly in the eyes. "Your free Hinata-sama"

"I wish you could be as well. It's unfair that a better alternative has been found but it can't be applied to anyone with the former seal. I hope Hanabi can find a way to remove the seal. I really do. You deserve to be free." Hinata teared up.

That was a two weeks ago. Neji had left after five days with clear instructions to regulate the amount of time she spent using the byukugan for the first couple of weeks. She had to train three times a day for thirty minutes. Which in her opinion was a bit meager and was going to have a bit of overtime on it, she felt fine. But Gaara had decided by himself that he was going to oversee her training and seemed to time it perfectly to the second. If she'd had any thoughts of training after he had left they were quickly squashed into oblivion. Gaara had decided, again by himself, that she was going to be his personal assistant. They spent all day together, only to go home and spend all evening together as she made dinner while he sat and watched. He would look out the window only to sneak quick glances at her. If he thought she didn't notice he was sorely mistaken. It made her blush. She hoped she could pass it off as exertion from dancing round the cooking pots but she didn't think he was fooled. They would then retire to their bedroom and sleep in the same bed together. All night. It's then that her blush would radiate off her skin. The bed could fit two people on it. But if one moved a certain way they would touch. Gaara only wore a pair of shorts and a singlet to bed, so their was a lot of exposed skin to touch. She herself only had a night-gown and that would slowly ride up during the night as she slept. So in the morning she would wake to fine her panties practically showing. On one occasion her midriff was showing... Gaara had been awfully quiet for the rest of that day.

It was now that she was in his office that she was blushing one of the worst blushes in her life. Gaara had decided they needed a 'talk' about their relationship. She admitted she felt the same but...She couldn't talk about sex and not blush.

"I propose we abstain for a while. At least untill we are both fully comfortable as a couple to progress to that." Hinata bobbed her head in agreement. She could see the Kazekage was struggling a bit with the topic as well. He kept looking away from her and he was blushing. Only slightly, but it was there. It made her feel slightly better about herself.

"In the meantime I believe, we should just get to know each other better." This time Gaara looked right at her. She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say, so closed it and bobbed her head once again. Should she tell him something about herself?

"Um, kaze-" Gaara held up a hand.

"From now on when we are alone you should call me Gaara. Or if you find that too informal you can add a suffix if you wish." Hinata nodded and restarted her sentence.

"Gaara...-kun. Umm, I agree. Ah, I like cinnamon buns and flowers. I don't like eel." Hinata stared at Gaara. He stared back at her for a moment before reclining.

"I like salted tongue and cactus drops. I don't like green tea ice cream." Gaara was looking up to the ceiling. Hinata could see a stark blush over his nose, it made her smile.

* * *

Ok. I made some stuff up about the cursed seal, to add drama, and the cactus drops... lol I hope you enjoyed it. If you feel the need please feel free to favourite this story. Or write a review. XD

xxoo


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